Vending-machine.



M. DE CESARE. VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION map JUNE 18. m5.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Elwuentoz Mm-Mom N m flalum M. DE CESARh.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1915.

Patented J ah. 9; 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

M. DE CESARE.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1915.

Patented Jan. 9, 1 917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

NNN I dftoinua M. DE CESARE. VEMDIING MACHINE.

APPLICAIIQN EILED JUNE 18., 1915.

1,211,685. Patented Jan. 9,1917.

4 S HEETSSHEET 4.

97 0 gamfwt Clftonau,

MATTEO DE CESARE, OF PASS AIC, NEW JERSEY.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

Application filed June 18, 1915. Serial No. 34,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ma'r'rno DE CESARE, citizen of the United States, residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vending and more particularly to vending machines machines designed to handle or dispense packaged liquids such as bottled ale, sarsaparilla, beer and analogous beverages.

The lnvention in its preferred embodiment will include, generically speaking, a.

coin control mechanism, a delivery means, anda means for directing the bottled goods, automatically and one bottle at a time, to said delivery means.

An object of the invention is to generally improve the construction, combination and view of the coin control mechanism and delivery means; Fig. 8 illustrates partly in section and partly in elevation the automatic carrier lock mechanism; F 1g. 9 1s a 'detail perspective view of one of the lock tention to the fact that while I have evolved my invention with reference to its use as a means for vending bottled beverages, the 1 same, if desired, may be used as a means for vending any and all packages, articles or devices susceptible of arrangement and gravity movement as hereinafter disclosed.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates as an entirety the cabinet or casing within which the various mechanisms and sub-mechanismsconstituting the present invention are arranged. Compartments, designated respectively 2, 3, 1, 5 and 6 are formed interiorly of the cabinet 1 through the medium of partitions or dividing walls 7, 8, 9 and 10 arranged as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Compartments 3 and 1 are adapted to contain a suitablerefrigerant whereby the bottled goods may be at all times kept cold. It will be noted that the compartments 3 and 4c are located, one at each side of the compart- ..ment 2,'the latter, compartment 2, prior to delivery, containing the filled bottles to be sold. The utility of'the compartments 5 and 6 will subsequently appear.

Access may be gained to the refrigerator compartments 3 and 1 at the top, the movable doors ,or covers 11 and 12 being provided for that purpose.

A door 13 is located at the rear of the compartment 2 and a door 11 at the side of the compartment 5 whereby access may be gained to said compartments. Compartment 6 is partitioned to provide an upper com partment 15 and a lower com )artment 16,

the latter, compartment 16, a ording a receptacle'or container for all coins delivered thereto in and during operation of the my chine.. A d0or 17 is provided for the upper compartment 15 and a door 18 for the money compartment 16 whereby access may be gained to either or both of said compartments should occasion demand.

Passing on to a detail description of the coin control mechanism best illustrated in Fig. 7, 19 designates a coin chute open at its upper end to a coin slot 20 Within which a predesignated coin may be placed. An opening 21 is formed in the under side of the coin chute 19, interiorly of the compartment 15 whereby coins smaller in size than the predesignated coin necessary to operation, may leave the chute and in this manner preclude fraudulent operation of the machine. Vhen it is desired that the opening 21 be closed, it is but necessary to shift a slide member 22 (as is obvious upon reference to Fig. 12 of the drawings) that said member may close said opening.

The discharge end of the chute 19 is positioned directly above a horizontally fiat trip plate 23 that the coin, in falling from said chute, will contact with force the mentioned plate to in this manner set in motion the .mechanism necessary to delivery of a single bottle or other article from a point within to a point without the machine. Trip plate 23 is affixed in any suitable manner to the free end of a bell crank lever 24 fulcrumed as at 25 between parallel supports 26 in turn aflixed to the partition 7 and within the compartment 15. The opposite end of the lever 24 from that to which the trip plate 23 is fastened engages with a pendent pawl 27 hung from a point 28 where it is pivoted to operate between the mentionedarms 26, said arms affording a guide means therefor.

A shoulder 29 is formed on the. pawl 27 to engage with one of a plurality (preferably four) of radial arms 30, the arms collectively constituting the motor control or operating ratchet of the machine. The numeral 30 will be hereinafter referred to as designating the ratchet as a whole. Said ratchet 30 is mounted on a shaft 31 jour naled in a motor supporting bracket or casting 32. A pinion 33 is mounted on the shaft 31 to mesh with a gear 34 in turn loosely mounted on a shaft 35, this last mentioned shaft, like the shaft 31, being journaled in the bracket or casting 32. Gear 35 is equipped with a pivoted pawl 36, spring pressed as indicated at 37, which pawl, by reason of the mentioned spring, is normally held in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet 38 affixed to the shaft 35 that the mentioned gear may rotate therewith during rotation of the shaft in one direction. A coil spring 39, utilized as the power means, is affixed at one end to the shaft'35 and at its opposite end as at 40 to the casting 32. The engagement between the ratchet 30 and the shoulder 29 of the pawl 27 will preclude, by reason of the normal immobility of the mentioned pawl, an unwinding of the spring 39 and consequently rotation of the shaft 35.

Stop devices 41 are fastened as at 42, one to each of the arms constituting the ratchet 30. These stop devices correspond in number to the arms of the ratchet 30 and when secured in place extend in parallelism with said arms, each stop device terminating short of its associate arm. It is to be noted that the free end of each stop device is rounded or made blunt. The said devices being affixed to the arms of the ratchet, it is evident that they will rotate in unison with the shaft 31.

A second bell crank lever 43 is fulcrumed as at 44 between spaced support members 45 in turn secured to a platform 46 extending from one to the other of the partitions 7 and 8 forwardly of the compartment 2. A yielding contact member 47 is secured to the free end of the lever 43, suitably bowed, and positioned to normally engage with one of the stop devices 41 previously described.

The opposite terminal of the lever 43 is positioned to operate in a slot 48 therefor formed in a link 49 pivoted as at 50 to a bell crank 51. A spring 52 is secured to the link 49 at its opposite end to normally exert a slight pull thereon and consequently, by the engagement of the link with the lever 43, maintain the contact member 47 in a substantially horizontal plane and in engaging proximity with one of the stop devices 41. Spring 52 is supported or fastened in the manner desired through the medium of a yielding support arm or rod 53 fastened to the platform 46.

Bell crank lever 51 is fulcrumed as at 54 and positioned to engage with a knob 55 of a sliding bolt 56. By such arrangement, bolt 56 is actuatable through movement of hell crank 51. Bolt 56 is slidable in a suitable lock case 57 slotted as at 58 to receive. the connection between the knob 55 and the bolt. One end of the bolt is normally extended beyond one end of the lock case to engage with a keeper 59 therefor. In the present application or use of the lock device, the lock case 57 is so fastened and posi-. tioned relatively to the platform 46 as to terminate at one end flush with the forward longitudinal edge of said platform and consequently permit the bolt 56 in its normally extended position, to project or extend beyond the mentioned platform and engage with the keeper 59, which in the present instance, is permanently fastened to a vertically movable platform 60 yieldingly supported by springs 61.

An upright or standard 62 is made fast in any suitable manner to the movable plat-- form, the said standard being provided with a slot 63 through which the forward end of a lever 64 extends, said lever, intermediate its ends, being fulcrumed as at 65 and at its opposite end slotted as at 66 to receive a pin 67 mounted to extend across an opening 68 formed in the stem 69 of a vertically movable bottle stop 70. A bracket 71 acts as a support for the lever 64.

That the bottle stop may operate in the manner desired and in a substantially vertical plane, I cut an opening 72 in the platform 46 to receive said stop and with a cross beam 73 open as at 74, provide a guide means therefor.

That the spring 39 may be properly rewound subsequent to the unwinding action, I provide a connection between the upright 62 and the motor shaft whereby through movement of the former, such rewiading operation is obtained. A pin 75 is carried by the upright 62 to operate in a slot 76 of a pendent link 77. A bifurcated head 78 is formed integrally with the link 77 to receive one end of a lever 79. Lever 79 is pivoted to the head portion 78 of thelink 77 as indicated at 80. Said lever 79 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends as indicated at 81. A connecting rod 82 is pivoted as at 83 to the opposite end of the lever 79 from that connected to the lever 77 which rod, at its opposite end is pivoted as at 83 to a link 84 in turn rigid with the shaft 35. As the standard 62 is located in the compartment 2 and the shaft 35 in the compartment 6, it is evident that the lever 79 must of a necessity be of sufficient length to extend from. a point within the former compartment to a point within the latter. That this lever 79 may operate unobstructed, partition 7 is cut away as at 85.

A second I ovable or inclined platform 86 is disposed directly beneath the movable reference to Fig. 2

platform 60, the said two platforms being connected at their respective ends as indicated at 87. A guard member 88 is movable with the platform 86 to normally afford a closure means for an opening 89 in the cabinet through which the bottles or other articles are discharged in operating the machine. The opening 89 is cut in the front wall of the cabinet, in that the front wall, in actual practice, has been found to be a mostconvenient point of discharge. A trough 90 is to be affixed to the cabinet directly over the opening 89 to receive and hold the bottles or other articles delivered therethrough.

A second vertically movable bottle stop 91 is mounted to operate forwardly of the bottle stop and in an opening 92 therefor formed in the runway 93 onto -which the bottles are directed prior to discharge through the opening 89. The mentioned stop devices 70 and 91 are connected to move in unison, each having a vertical reciprocatory movement, the movement of one however being opposite to that of the other. An arm 94 is secured to the under side of the inclined platform 86 to move therewith. From one face of this fixed arm 94 a pin 95 projects, which pin, as is apparent upon of the drawings. is mounted to operate in a slot 96 formed in the forward end of a lever 97 pivoted as at 98, and from which pivot point it is oscillatahle. Said lever 97 has secured thereto at a point intermediate its ends or as indicated at 99 a link 100 which link at its opposite end is pivoted as at 101 to a bottle stop operating lever 102. That the lever 102 may move in the manner desired, said lever is fulcrumed intermediate its ends as at 103 and positioned to operate, at its forward end, in a slot 104 formed in the stop 91. A

depending angle arm may he provided to at 109 to the carrier 106 and at the opposite end as at 110 to the carrier 107 that said two carriers may move in the manner stated with facility and ease, each chain (if there be more than one) operating over sprockets 111 mounted at a point in proximity to the top of the cabinet and within the compartment 2.

The carrier 106 1n the device of my invention here shown is partitioned to provide a plurality of superposed shelves 112, the several shelves extending in parallelism and at a slight inclination to provide a continuous inclined runway (when positioned as will hereinafter appear) of-which runway 93 is a part. Each shelf 112 is centrally divided or cut away to provide a space 113. A narrow inclined extension 114 of the runway 93 isvpositioned to fit the space'113 between each shelf section as the carrier 106 is lowered to bring the several shelves flush there with.

An opening 115 is formed in the extension 114'to receive, when lowered, an abutment plate 116. Said plate 116 is secured in any suitable manner to an enlargement 117 of a stem 118, the latter depending from the plate to operate in an opening 119 therefor formed in a guide beam 120 in turn secured to a vertical stationary stop plate 121 to behereinafter described. A spring 122 is arranged to embrace the stem 118 of the abutment and to engage at one end the beam 120 and at its opposite end the enlargement 117 whereby to normally exert upward pressure on the latter and elevate the plate 116 relatively to the extension 114 of the runway 93. Rods 123, slightly inclined off the vertical, are movable with the plate 116 to extend and withdraw as occasion may demand, suitable locking slides or bolts 124. Each slide 124 is provided with an opening 125 through which one of the rods 123 passes. A support for the slides 124 is arranged be- ,neath said slides and fastened in any suitrier is equipped with two or more vertically extending guide flanges 128. Complemental grooves 129 are formed in the respective partitions 7 and 8 to receive the flanges 128 and direct the reciprocatory movement of the carriers 106 and 107.

Before proceeding with a description of the operation, I desire to direct attention to the fact that by the-provision of inclined shelves, the bottles or other articles mounted thereon will, by gravity, seek the lower end of the carrier. A stationary stop plate 129' is positioned forwardly of the carrier 106 to maintain the bottles or other articles on the several shelves 112 until the mentioned trays shall have been moved or loweredto form the continuous inclined runway noted above. The stationary stop plate 121 will preclude excess movement of the bottles or other articles mounted on the shelves 127 of the carrier 107 until the mentioned shelves shall have been successively brought into a position upon the same inclined plane as the runway 93.

As a means whereby the number of hottles contained in the cabinet or machine may be at all times ascertained, I mount a dial 130 exteriorly of the machine, over which dial plate an indicator 131 is adapted to be moved. Said indicator 131 is mounted on a shaft 132 disposed to penetrate the cabinet front. Upon the inner end of this shaft 132 a ratchet 133 is mounted with the teeth of which a pawl 134 is engageable. Pawl 134 is pivoted as at 135 to an arm 136 in turn pivoted as at 137 to the lever 79' that each movement of said lever may actuate the pawl and cause the ratchet to be turned one notch and the indicator accordingly moved.

In loading the machine it is necessary that door 13 and door 14 be opened. The carriers 106 and 107 are moved to aline the lowermost tray of the carrier 107 with the uppermost tray of the carrier 112. These trays are then filled with the bottles or other articles to be subsequently sold. The carriers 106 and 107 are then moved until the intermediate trays are alined whereupon these last mentioned trays are loaded or filled in the manner stated. Finally, the carriers. are moved into the position shown I in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in which event a continuous runway is in effect, the same .to be loaded as hereinbefore stated. The first bottle or .article placed on the runway thus formed will roll by gravity until in engagement with the bottle stop 70. of a single bottle, when in contact with the plate 116, is suflicient to depress said plate against tension of its associate spring 122 and, by movement of the rods 123, cause slides 124 to be extended sufficiently to contact with the under side of the lowermost shelf 112 and in this manner preclude re1a- The weight,

tive movement of the carriers. The carriers having been loaded in the manner stated, a single bottle is placed on the runway 93 forwardly of the stop through an opening 137 formed in the partition 8. 'The bottle thus placed will roll by gravity onto the inclined movable platform 86, in which position it will remain until discharged through operation of the coin control mechanism before described. 1

Carrier 106 is somewhat heavier than the carrier 107', the additional weight thus obtained causing said carrier to automatically fall, and the carrier 107 to accordingly rise, the moment all of the bottles on the runway 93 shall have been withdrawn through gravitation from engagement with the plate 116. The moment all weight; is removed from the mentioned plate, spring 122 will expand and, through movement of the rods 123, cause the locking slides 124 to disengage the shelf 112 with which it has up to this time been directly contactingf and by such action,permit the carrier 106' to gravitate until the bottles on the next or succeeding upper tray shall contact with the plate 106 and again cause the locking actionto take place in the manner above noted. This second locking action will maintain the carriers against relative movement with the intermediate trays alined, the said intermediate trays when thus alined affording with the runway 93 and the extension 114 the desired elongated runway necessary to delivery of the bottles, one at a time, to the platform 86.

That the noise incident to rolling movement of the bottles or other articles within the cabinet may be reduced to a minimum, I have equipped the bottles with a rubber band 138. If desired, the bands thus provided may Work in grooves 139 to afford a guide means for the bottles.

In operation, and assuming that the machine has been properly loaded in the manner before stated, it is but necessary to drop a coin of a predesignated denomination in the slot 20 and onto the chute 19. The coin thus dropped will be conveyed by the chute to a point directly above the trip plate 23. Should the coin encounter no obstruction, such as the safety means shown in Fig; 12, it will fall by gravity and with force onto the mentioned plate. The weight of the coin thus dropped is sufficient to actuate the arm or lever 24 and counteract the resistance offered by a spring 140 associated with the pawl 27. Movement of the pawl against. its associate spring will cause shoulder 29 to be withdrawn from engagement with the ratchet 30, or more specifically, one of the arms constituting said ratchet. The moment ratchet 30 is thus released, spring 39 will unwind and through its unwinding action, rotate shaft 35. Ratchet 38 being keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 35 I the spring 39, it is evident that the contact member 47, by reason of its engagement with the mentioned stop devices, will be sufiiciently depressed to rock lever 43 from its fulcrum point 44 and with the assistance of spring 52 so move the link 49 as to actuate the bell crank 51. Movement of the bell crank will withdraw bolt 56 from engagement with its keeper and in this manner release the movable platform 86.

Platforms 60 and 86 move in unison and as the latter, platform 86 acts as a support for the bottle to be delivered, it is evident that the weight of said bottle is entirely borne by the catch 56 previously described. 'Upon a withdrawal of the catch 56, the weight of the bottle on the platform 86 is sufficient to cause the platform to gravitate until the bottle thereon shall fall by gravity through the opening 89 and onto the receiving trough 90 therefor. Movement of the platform 86 is against tension of the springs 61, said springs acting as a means whereby the platform, the moment the weight of the bottle is removed therefrom, will return to its normal elevated position. Movement of the platform will also accordingly move lever 64 and bottle stop 70, the movement of the latter permitting the next or succeeding bottle to be discharged, to roll by gravity until in engagement with the stop 91, the latter having been elevated above the top surface of the runway 93 through lowering movement of the platform 86. Movement of this stop 91 is automatic in its nature and controlled through the agency of the lever 93, link 100 and lever 102. Stop 91 will not assume its normal position until' platform 86 shall have again been returned to its normal position whereupon the bottle heretofore checked by the stop 91 will assume the position previously assumed by the bottles just discharged.

The lowering movement of the upright 62 will in no way affect link 77 until pin 75 shall have come in contact with the lower end of the slot 7 6. When thus contacted, continued lowering movement of the upright 62 will cause said link to be pulled downwardly and 'lever 7 9 to be rocked from its fulcrum point 81. Such movement of the lever 7 9 will raise rod 82 and link 84 to in this manner partially rotate shaft 35 whereby to cause the spring 39 afiixed to said shaft to accordingly rewind. Movement of the lever 79 will also actuate the rod 136 to provide for proper operation of the indicating mechanism before mentioned.

The action of springs 140, 52 and 53 will so return the various parts with which they are associated to their normal position as to reposition pawl 27 to engage with the ratchet 30 and thus preclude (in the present instance) but a quarter revolution of the motor shaft. Although the bolt 56 is not fully shown, it is to be understood that the extended end thereof is provided with a beveled face whereby to permit of an automatic relocking operation upon the return movement of the platform 60 through action of springs 61. I

By removing two of the stop devices 41 (the two being diametrically opposite) it is apparent that two depressions of the trip plate 23 will be necessary to operation of the sliding bolt 56, this for the reason that the ratchet 30 must make a complete half turn before contact member 47 can-be depressed. If desired, three of the stop de vices may be removed, in which event three successive depressions of the trip plate will be necessary before operation of the men tioned bolt can. be obtained. By such arrangement, it is apparent that the machine may be set to require a deposit of one, two or three coins before operation.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is evident that the entire operation depends solely upon the contact of the coin with the trip plate 23; that the operation of the delivery mechanism is such in its nature as to preclude a second operation without deposit of a second coin; and that the carriers, by reason of their location between the refrigerator compartments 3 and 4 will keep the contents of the machine at all times cold and in condition to be sold.

In reduction to practice,I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrgnt with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction,

- proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defind in the appended claims Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vending machine, delivery means, and an automatic gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable connected carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means.

2. In a vending machine, delivery means,

and an automatic gravity feed arrangement comprising connected reciprocable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means.

3. In a vending machine, delivery means, a gravity feed arrangement for the articles acted on comprising relatively movable carriers, and lock means operable by the weight of the articles acted on to respectively lock and release the carriers at proper intervals, substantially as described.

4. In a vending machine, delivery means, an automatic gravity feed arrangement for the articles acted on comprising relatively movable'carriers, and a connection between the respective carriers that they may be moved in unison and in opposite directions, substantially as described.

5. Ina vending machine, delivery means, an automatic gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means, a connection between the respective carriers that they may move in unlson and oppositely, and lock means oper atlng automatically to maintain the carriers against relative movement for a predeter mined number of actuations of the device.

6. In a vending machine, delivery means, a gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means, a plurality of inclined shelves upon each carrler, and means operating automatically to successively lock the shelves of the respective carriers in alinement and for a predetermined period of time, substantially as described.

7. In a vending machine, delivery mechanism, gravitating and relatively movable carriers, and a connection between the respective carriers that they may move oppositely and in unison.

8. In a vending machine, delivery means, gravitating and relatively movable carriers, a connection between the respective carriers that they may move oppositely and in unison, a plurality of shelves upon each carrier, andmeans operating automatically to successively lock the several shelves of the respectlve carriers in alinement and for a predetermined number of actuations of the device.

9. In a vending machine, delivery means, an automatic gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said deliv-- ery means, a connection between the respective earners that they may move oppositely and in unison, shelves formed upon the respective carriers, an automatic lock mechanism operable at predetermined intervals to successively maintain the respective shelves in alinement and for the purpose specified, and guide means for the carriers,

they may move oppositely and in unison,

shelves formed upon each carrier, and mechanism operable by the weight of thearticles acted on to positively maintain the several shelves of the respective carriers in alined relation for a predetermined number of ac-.

tuations of the device.

11. In a vending machine, delivery means, an automatic gravity feed arrangementv comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means, and an automatic spring lock operable by the weight of the mentioned articles to successively lock the respective carriers at predetermined positions and for a predetermined number of actuations of the device.

12. In a vending machine, delivery means, an automatic gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means, and lock mechanism disposed for engagement with the articles acted on during relative movement of the carriers, said mechanism operating automatically by the weight of the mentioned articles to lock said carriers at predetermined positions during such relative movement, substantially as described.

13. In a vending machine, delivery means, a gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means, a connection between the respective carriers that they may move oppositely and in unison, one of, said carriers being heavier than the other to permit of such automatic relative movement, and automatic lock mechanism mounted to engage with the articles acted on during movement of the carriers to lock said carriers against relative movement in a predetermined position and for a predetermined number of actuations of the device.

14. In a vending machine, delivery means, an automatic gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said delivery means, a spring actuated lock positioned for contact with the mentioned articles during relative movement of the carriers, and means forming a part of the lock mechanism to engage with the carriers and lock said carriers at a predetermined position and for a predetermined number of actuations of the device, substantially as described.

15. In a vending machine, delivery means including a runway, a gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said runway, shelves set at an inclination upon the respective carriers, and means controlling'movement of the carriers that the respective shelves may be successively alined with the mentioned runway, substantially as described.

16. In a vending machine, delivery means including a runway, a gravity feed arrangement comprising relatively movable carriers operable to direct the articles acted on to said runway, a connection between the respective carriers that they may move oppo sitely and in unison inclined shelves formed upon the respective carriers, and means con- MATTEO DE CESARE.

Witnesses GIOVANNI DAcos'rmo, Vmcnnzo SCHINGA. 

